Cum au disaprut Daciile... / How the Dacias disappeared...

Niste statistice interesante din 2012 - referitor la numerele Daciilor din tara.

Se refera numai la Dacii fara catalizator (adica, pana in 1999).

In plus, sectia Dacia 1302 se refera numai la camionetele produsele sub acest nume - adica, numai 134 exemplare in 1983. Restul ("autocamioneta 0,4 tone") probabil sunt incadrate sub Dacia 1300.

Azi, banuiesc ca numerele sunt mult mai scazute. Sa nu uitam ca desi programul Rabla exista din 2004, 2010 a fost anul in care a intrat in adevarata forta, casandu-se 184,000 masini, in comparatie cu 107,000 in perioada 2004-2009. Si in urmatorii ani, cate nu s-au mai dus...

Mare miracol daca numarul combinat de Dacia 1100, Dacia Sport, 1320 si 1325 depaseste 1,000. Deja astazi, sa vezi una pe strada e un adevarat eveniment.

Trist...!

 

Some interesting stats from 2012, showing the disappearance of Dacias from Romania.

 

The figures refer only to pre-1999 Dacias - ie those not fitted with a catalytic convertor.

 

The Dacia 1302 section refers only to the 134 cars sold under the name of Dacia 1302 in 1983. Previously, the model had been officially known as the 0.4t light truck (catchy!). So there are more, but they are presumably covered in the Dacia 1300 section.

 

I would imagine that today, the numbers are massively reduced. The "Rabla" scrappage scheme, although having started in 2004, only really got going in 2010. In that year alone, 184,000 vehicles were scrapped - more than in the previous 5 years combined. And since then, it has continued apace.

 

I doubt that today, the numbers of existing 1100, Sport, 1320 and 1325 models reaches 1000. One on the street is already a seriously unusual sight.

 

A shame!



Mai mult despre Hanomag / More about the Hanomag

Am primit vesti ca Hanomagul nu este de fapt din Romania, ci - probabil - o masina originala austriaca. Stopurile se pare ca nu au fost facutre numai in Romania. Multumesc celor care mi-au transmis aceste informatii! Ma bucur ca unii dintre cititori au venit si ei cu informatii interesante, atat pe blog cat prin e-mail. Toate sunt binevenite! I've received news that the Hanomag isn't in fat a Romania car but, in all probability, an original Austrian vehicle. The tail lights, in particular, were not just made in Romania. I'm grateful for those who sent on this info; it's great news that readers volunteer their own information, both via emiail and in the comments section. All are very welcome!

Multumesc... / Thank you...

Astazi am intrat pe pagina cu statistici si hop, aflu ca acest blog a fost citit de 100,000 ori. Si in Romania, si peste hotare, in cele mai ciudate tari... Deci trebiue sa va multumesc, dragi cititori, pentru interes, pentru comentarii, si pentru ideile voastre pentru articole.

Daca aveti idei in plus despre ce vreti sa cititi, scrieti-mi, sau ca un comentariu, sau la blackvolga@googlemail.com.

Multumesc din nou, si vizionare placuta in continuare!


Today I had a quick look on the stats page and it turns out this blog seems to have been read a hundred thousand times. In Romania, but also abroad, sometimes in the most bizarre countries... So thank you, dear readers, for your support, interest, comments, and ideas.

Any more thoughts about what you'd like to read about, just drop me a line, either as a comment or on blackvolga@googlemail.com.

Thank you once again - and happy reading for the future!

Moartea unui Renault Dauphine Gordini / Death of a Renault Dauphine Gordini

Aceste poze au fost puse cu mandrie pe site-ul primariei Sectorului 2. Arata ultima calatorie a unui Renault Dauphine, zis Gordini pe piata romaneasca. 3,000 exemplare au fost importate oficial in anii 60, fara discutie mai multe au ajuns prin alte metode. Astazi calcul ca mai sunt in viata vreo suta, din care marea majoritate in stare proasta.

Masina din imagine nu rulase de mult si desigur, ocupa un mult ravnit loc de parcare bucurestean. Nu era intr-o stare extraordinara, aceste masini ruginesc si nu au cotatie enorma. Totusi nu putem trece peste faptul ca ce a fost odata piesa comuna pe strazile patriei a devenit rara avis. La un eveniment de masini de epoca (sau chiar pe strada) ai usor mai multe sanse sa vezi un Mustang sau un Cadillac decat o masina, cum se spune in limba engleza, de "bread and butter". Nu pot sa nu regret faptul asta, mai ales ca, pentru mine cel putin, farmecul masinilor vechi este unul nostalgic, si noi nu prea am crescut cu Cadillac in curte.

In plus, nu pot sa nu regret bucuria cu care siteul a semnalat distugerea acestui Gordini - mai ales ca, in aceeasi serie de ridicari, s-au luat (si, punct important, de multe ori fara sau chiar impotriva acordul proprietarilor) alte masini precum doua Opeluri Olympia P2, un Ford Taunus, un Rambler Ambassador, un Lastun, doua Saaburi clasice si o mana de Dacii 1100. Trist.

These photos were displayed with much prode on the website of the Bucharest Sectory 2 mayor. They show the last journey of a Renault Dauphine, sold in Romania as the Renault Gordini. 3,000 of these were officially imported in the 60s, with several more making their way over by other means. These days, I estimate about a hundred have survived, most of them precariously.

The pictured car clearly hadn'd been driven for a long time and was probably occupying a much-needed parking space. It didn't look great; Dauphines rust notoriously; restored, the value's not great. Yet I can't help but feel sad. This car, once common on Romanian roads, has become a rarity. At a show (or even on the street), you're far likelier to see a Mustang or a Cadillac than a bread-and-butter model such as this, which is a great shame because, to me at least, a great part of the charm of old cars is the nostalgia value, and, bluntly, we didn't exactly grow up with Cadillacs.

Again, I am saddened by the glee with which the demise of this old Renault was presented on the website. Esepcailly so because, alongside it (and, crucially, many without or against the owners' wishes) other cars met their end, including two Opel Olympia P2s, a Ford Taunus, a Rambler Ambassador, a Lastun, two classic Saabs and a handful of Dacia 1100s. A shame, that.

Despre salvarea istoriei / About saving history

La cateva zile dupa Revelion am poposit intr-o comuna din judetul Suceeava - o comuna unde se gasesc extrem de multe vestigii vechi, din epoca lui Alexandru cel Bun, Stefan cel Mare, si Petru Rares. Cladirea cea mai veche - ruinele unei catedrale catolice din 1410 - o cunosc de mult timp. Pana acum un an, oile taranilor se plimbau printre ruine si balarii ; ici-colo era cate un fragment de arhitectura gotica ; era practic retrocedat naturii. Un fragment m-a impresionat in mod special. Inca vizibil dupa cateva secole era un blazon pe o piatra masiva cazuta. Posibil data chair din epoca in care aceasta comuna era mare targ si capitala Moldovei. Oricum, vroiam extrem de mult sa o car de-acolo si sa o pun undeva unde s-ar pastra mai bine. Poate un muzu sau, daca nu intereseaza pe nimeni, in colectia personala. Bine inteles, n-am facut asa ceva.

Candva in 2010 totul s-a curatat si pe langa ruine a fost amenajat un mic parc, cu lumini, banci, cosuri de gunoi, etc. Din pacate, mult (incluziv blazonul...) a si disparut, banuiesc iremediabil. Desi fara discutie arata mai civilizat, constat cu parere de rau ca o bucata de istorie s-a pierdut.

Ce legatura are asta cu vehicule istorice? Pur si simplu, salvati tot ce puteti! Ce e mai rar trebuie cumparat si sau restaurat sau conservat. Altfel va disparea... In cel mai rau caz, cine gaseste ceva interesant trebuie sa dea sfoara in tara: pe strada X se gaseste automobil marca Y si proprietarul sta la etajul N... Am avut o surpriza placuta anul asta afland ca inca mai exista cel putin trei exemplare de autocamioneta Dacia 1302, un model pe care eu personal il credeam disparut. Toate trei sunt in circulatie dar in stare precara. Se pot reface relativ usor. Daca cineva nu pune mana pe asa ceva, azi-maine va fi doar o amintire. Deja destule modele autohtone sunt mai rare decat Aston-Martin, Rolls Royce, sau Bentley. Am face bine sa nu pierdem si mai mult decat s-a dus deja.


Just after the New Year I visited a small village in the North of Romania filled with historic monuments from the fifteenth and sixteenth centruies. The oldest building - the ruins of a 1410 Gothic cathedral - I know from quite some time ago. Up until last year, the place had practically been reclaimed by nature, with sheep wondering among the ruins and fallen masonry among the weeds. The most impressive piece was an massive piece of masonry with a weathered crest carved on it, possibly from the days when the village was an important market town and indeed the Moldavian capital. I would have loved to remove that piece from the grounds of the cathedral and preserved it, either in a museum or if necessary in my own personal collection.

Some time last year, however, the whole complex had been cleaned up, sanitised, and turned into a little park. And a lot has disappeared. including the shield. Without a doubt, it looks more civilised, but a lot of history has disappeared.

What link does this have with saving historic vehicles? Put simply, if you see something you like, get it, restore it, or if you can't restore it at least preserve it. Otherwise, it will disappear... In the worst case, simply let others know: on street X there is a Y, and the owner lives on the nth floor... This year I found out that of a model I had believed extinct (the Dacia 1302 truck) there are still three running, all in precarious condition but all still there and restorable. But unless someone does get one and look after it, within a few years they will doubtlessly have been crushed. We already have a situation where certain Romanian-made vehicles are rarer than Aston Martins, Bentleys, or Rolls-Royces. We would do well to make sure they don't all die out.

Welcome

Romania has a rich automotive history full of interesting tales. Over the years, many fascinating cars found their way to Romanian shores. The first ever Jaguar to carry the leaping cat mascot. Beautiful specials from the inter-war period. The pair of famous racing Mercedes imported as war trophies in 1945. The Western cars favoured by the Communist elite. Last but not least, the supercars of today.

Yet the story of cars in Romania also gives stories of astonishing resilience; of families' pride and joy buried or locked away during the War; of determined eccentrics keeping rare interbellum models going well into the 'seventies and 'eighties, sowing the seeds of Romania's fledgeling classic car movement; of Maseratis carrying potatoes, roadsters used as chicken coops, and cats sleeping in the remains of royal Alfa Romeos; of the ever-inventive ways Romanians had of importing a prized Western model under Communism, and the love with which some of these cars were (and, sometimes, still are) kept going, against all odds.

There are sad stories too, of indifference and destruction, and of the ravages of war and political extremism. Many of the best cars Romania has had have been scrapped, exported, neglected, or modified. Cars from the 60s and early 70s - many of them loved and kept in good order by their owners - are still being sent to the crusher. Some home-grown models, notably older commercial vehicles, are extinct. Still we do not have a national museum of automobiles, and those kept in museums are often in terrible condition.

But things can and do change. And I hope that, when looking through the photos I will put up, or when reading the stories I will do my best to recount, you might be just that bit more tempted to save the rusting but still no less interesting piece of engineering, languishing in the parking lot of the block of flats opposite.

I will write in English and Romanian. (Apologies in advance for the quality of the latter. It is bad.)

Happy reading and I await your comments!

APT



Bine ati venit!

Istoria automobilismului in Romania e lunga si plina de povesti interesante. In trecut au existat multe masini interesante prin tara, precum primul Jaguar care a purtat celebra insignie Jaguar, modele interbelice de lux carosate special, o pereche de Mercedesuri de curse aduse in tara in '45 ca daune de razboi, luxoasele masini occdentale ale elitei comuniste, si, de ce nu, supercars care circula astazi prin cartierele noastre selecte.

In acelasi timp, exista multe povesti despre supravietuire: despre familii care si-au ascuns sau si-au ingropat mandria lor de la nemti sau de la rusi (masini care si astazi ies la iveala) ; despre "excentricii" anilor 70 si 80 care, cu chiu cu vai, tineau modele antebelice in stare de functionare, de multe ori facand primii pasi pentru miscarea vehiculelor de epoca in Romania ; despre Maserati pus la carat zarzavate, decapotabile pe post de cotet de gaini, sau pisici adapostindu-se in Alfa Romeo familiei regale ; despre fel de fel de metode prin care se putea importa o masina sub comunism ; si despre mandria aproape obsesiva pe care o avea fiecare proprietar de "masina mica" intr-o anumita perioada, si care se vede chiar astazi cand se mai gaseste cate-un Fiat sau o Dacie frantuzeasca tinuta intr-un garaj, bibilita si pastrata in stare originala.

Deasigur, exista si povesti mai triste. Indiferenta fata de istorie si evenimentele razboiului si schimbarilor politice au avut efectul lor. Multe din cele mai interesante masini care au existat in tara au fost casate, exportate, mutilate sau pur si simplu abandonate. Multe modele din anii 60 si 70, unele nesperabil de bine pastrate, inca isi gasesc drumul pana la portile REMATului. Avem modele autohtone, majoritatea destinate transportul marfii, care sunt pur si simple extincte - nu mai ramas vreun exemplar nici in tara, nici peste hotare. Inca, Romania nu are un muzeu specific vehiculelor, iar masinile care sunt in muzee prin tara, cu mici exceptii, sunt in stare deplorabila.

Totusi, lucrurile se pot schimba. Si sper ca, atunci cand cititi amanunte din istoria automobilismului din Romania, sau cand va uitati prin pozele care evoca un trecut frumos, va ganditi si la "rabla din fata blocului de vizavi", nu ca o uratenie care strica imaginea cartierului, ci ca o bucatica de istorie care, poate poate, merita salvata.

O sa incerca sa scriu si in limba engleza si in limba romana. Din pacate, cum cred ca ati vazut deja, calitatea romanii mele este mult inferioara... Totusi, va doresc vizionare placuta si astept comentarii!

APT